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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bound — tied together
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — a container
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. clip — to cut
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com